Category: Lists

Ah, well. This is an easy one, no? It’s a funny thing actually, trying to pin down what home feels like. Is it comforting and cozy? It is safe and sleepy? Is it a hide away or out in the bright city lights? I imagine it is all of those things and more and that each of us has our own special ideas and thoughts on what home is to us.

I think that in pondering what made it onto this list I have narrowed down that to me home feels like safety, comfort, tradition and familiarity.

This is going to be so exciting, not. But whether the contents of my bag are crazy or boring I think the idea of documenting it is a good one because in ten years I’ll be interested to see if it’s changed or stayed the same.

So here goes.

First of all I’d just mention that I carry a small bag. Quite a few years ago my sister bought me a beautiful Radley bag for my birthday. By the way, I adore Radley bags but gave up leather so can’t buy another – but that’s another story. Anyway the one she bought me was small so I downsized from the great big things I used to carry around and never looked back. I miss that Radley bag so much but it was well loved and well used and is still neatly tucked away upstairs. (Don’t tell Gav I hoard old as well as new bags…)

My current bag is Kipling, I bought it when we went to Brussels last September. I picked grey because I love grey and wanted a change from black. The monkey is called Jamie.

I’ve been a fan of Kipling bags almost as long as my love for Radley.

Anyway here’s what’s inside my bag.

Purse, Radley and very worn.

Phone.

Pens.

Notebook (This was a gift from a friend when I took redundancy from the civil service. The cover says The Future’s Bright and it’s from Smythson of Bond Street.)

Tissues.

Computer card and fob for work.

Foldup shopping bag, my Mum bought me this a few years ago and it comes in so handy.

Compact hairbrush and mirror.

Ipod.

Burts Bees lip balm, love.

Tic tac’s.

A blue plastic fork! (no idea where that came from…)

So there we have it. Documented for posterity. Anything crazy exciting in your bag?

I had great intentions of posting a list a month but that didn’t work out so well. Never mind though onward to a new list.

I’d started to jot down songs to go on this list way back in March and then I read an amazing post over here which got my mind working on how music fits into my life and how I’d been to the most amazing gig back in July and hadn’t even posted about it! (I have since corrected that omission here.)

Reading the post from Ali and taking on all her enthusiasm inspired me to think back and remember not just some favourite songs but music that has a history with me, a story behind it.

Evergreen – Barbara Streisand. The theme song for the film A Star is Born we had this on a 45 rpm single record. I played it over and over and over again, singing along once I knew the words and then dreaming of my perfect love story. I must have been about 11 at the time and although I knew it was a love song I’m sure I also knew that it was bitter sweet. It’s just hit me that I have never seen the film but then I bet it doesn’t have a happy ending….

Return to Sender – Elvis. Around the time I was twelve and one long Saturday three friends and I over one of their living rooms and played this song until we had a dance routine finished. I say routine, actually we were just moving about pretending to sing to one of my friends little brothers who were standing outside in the garden watching our antics through the window. Whenever I hear this song I am transported back to that afternoon.

The Danse Macabre – Saint Saens. During a music lesson in middle school the teacher introduced us this piece of music. She had written a chronology on the black board indicating the introduction of each musical instrument it gave us an outline of the story the composer was telling as well as allowing us to recognise the instruments in turn. I wish I could remember exactly what she had written on the board because it was that visual along with the music that fixed this classical masterpiece in my heart forever.

Hanging on the Telephone – Blondie. Memories of lounging around my best friends room listening over and over to the Parallel Lines album. Dreaming of this boy I had a huge crush on and feeling awkward and shy and scared of dealing talking to anyone I didn’t know. This album linked so firmly with that friendship and that time spent with her and her family.

Roxanne – The Police. This was released around the same time as Hanging on the Telephone and I listened to this album with the same friend. I was totally obsessed like a only teenage girl can be and in 1981 I went to see them play live at the Queens Hall in Leeds. Pretty sue it was my first gig and it was amazing.

Moondance – Van Morrison. As I remember it, Gav was astounded that I had never heard of Van Morrison. He played the Moondance album for me and I loved it. The title track became ‘our’ song and we played it at our wedding.

I could go on but I think this little list is perfect as it is. Do you have a meaningful music list?

I love a list. I already have the mammoth click tick list going on but I thought it would be fun to write a list a month and share it here. I got my inspiration from over here in their archives. (Click on the free download ones.)

I have even got a couple of guest posters line up!

Okay let’s do a fun and silly one which speaks volumes for my true personality…….

Celebrity Crush!

In order to get to this final list of fifteen I did a lot of memory searching and looked through some of the popular films from the 1980’s etc because I am old and forgetful! My off the top of my head list was missing some of those very first crushes so I’m glad I searched back in time to jog my memory.

I used that ‘pit of your stomach swoon’ factor to narrow down it down and these are the lucky guys that would be on my laminated list.

Harrison Ford

Pete Duel – Alias Smith and Jones

Tom Cruise

Lewis Collins – Bodie and Doyle

Kevin Costner

Robert Urich

Sam J Jones – Flash Gordon

Chris O’Donnell

Robert Pattinson

David Soul – Starsky and Hutch

Noah Wyle – ER

Ryan O’Neil

David Boreanez

Robert Redford

Sting

I made a little board of them all over here. How about you? Do you like a list? Do you like a handsome celebrity?

Back next month with another list (it won’t be quite a swoon-worthy as this one was though….)